Knitting machine



4 SHEETS-SHEET MERLI ET AL. KNIT-UNG MACHINE.

Fl LEED FE. 8.y i921 Feb. 6, 1923.

WINES:

dew-20 M6112 a;

WITNES: l I ATTORNEY www Feb. 6, 1923. v 1,443,999

C. MERLI ET AL.

Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

CARLO MERLI ANI) GIUSEPPE BERTOLINI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.; SAID BERTOLINIASSIGNOR OF HIS ENTIRE RIGHT TO VICTOR KLEINBERG, SALVATORE MANGIA-PANE, AND FRANK FUMO, ALL OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Application filed February 8, 1921.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we,CARLo MERLI and GIU- snrrn BERTOLINI, citizens ofItaly, residing at N ew York, in the count-y of New York and State ofNew York, have invented ner and useful Improvements in KnittingMachines, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to machines for tying articles and has for anobject the pro- Yvision of a machine which is especially designed fortying or knitting a cord or the like around meats, previously stuffedwithin a skin or casing the machine being designed for use in connectionwith an improved stuffing machine for which an application has beeniiled by us of even date herewith.

Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of a machine as abovespecied, in which the meat or other article is fed through a cylinder,the machine being operated during such feeding, so that the cord will bewrapped and looped about the article in a manner to provide a series ofrelatively tightly drawn interwoven convolutions and loops and thusmaintain the article in an attractive and sanitary condition.

Another object is the provision of a knitting machine which includes aplurality of separate units, preferably of different sizes toaccommodate different size articles, the said units being operatedsimultaneously or independently, the character of the article for whichthe machine is especially designed varying in size, so that the saidarticles may be graded and fed through their proper unit.

l,Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention furtherincludes the following novel features and details of construction, to behereinafter more fully described, illust-rated in the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1V is a side elevation of a knitting machineembodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end View of the Serial No. 443,454.

machine, the view being on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the subject matter of`Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail elevation of one of the revolving cylinders.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which thecord or thread is looped or interwoven about lthe article.

Figure 8 is an enlarged elevation of the cord container and cordtensioning device.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the tensioning device. v

Referring in detaily to the drawings, wherein like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts, the machine as illusrated includesa table l0, which may be supported in any suitable manner, as upon legsl1.

Rising from the top A12 of the table is a` plurality of verticallydisposed rods or standards 13, which have their upper ends secured to asupporting plate 14, theflatter being provided with spaced openings 15.Positioned within each of the openings l5 is a cylinder 16, the latterbeing provided at its lower end with a reduced portion 17 anda shoulder18, the former being receivedwithm the opening 15 of the table top,whilethe latter rests upon the upper face of the said top, so that thecylinder 16 is rotatably mounted within the opening 15.

As shownin the drawings a number of these cylinders are provided, thesaid cylinders varying in size, the purpose being to.v provide for tyingarticles of different sizes. This is essential in a machine used for thepurpose for which the present machine is especially designed, that is,in tying certain cuts of meat previously stuffed within a skinl orcasing, the said cuts not being of a uniform size.

Spaced above the supporting plate .14 by means of spacing rods 19 is aplurality of relatively small bearing plates 20, which are y providedwith openings 21 for the reception sleeves also surrounding each of thecylinders 16. v

Operatively mounted in each of the cylin ders 16 is a plurality ofknitting needles `23, the number of Vthese needles being regulated inaccordance with the diameter or size of the cylinders 16. As shown inthe drawings the number of these needles range from tour to seven,although this number mayl vary in accordance with the closeness which itis desired that the article be wrapped. ylhe needles 23 operate ,inlongitudinally disposed slots 24 provided in the outer periphery of thecylinders 16, the said needles being of the usual type employed inconnection with knitting machines, that is, they include a hook 25, apivoted latch 26 and a butt 27, provided in the shank of the needleopposite the hook end. The stationary cam sleeve 22 is provided with a.cam slot 28 which receives the butt portions 27 of the needles so thatwhen the cylinder 16 is rotated, ina. manner 4to be hereinafterdescribed, these needles will be moved longitudinally or their guideslots 24.

For the purpose of rotating the cylinders 16, each or' said cylinders isprovided with gear teeth 29, the teeth or each adjacent cylinder beingengaged by a gear 3Q, which is mounted upon a stub shaft 31. The teethof one of the cylinders 16 is engaged by a gear 32, which i's shown ascarried by a vertically disposed shaft 33. This shaft also carries abeveled pinion 34 which is engaged by a pinion 35 carried byva shaft 36,upon which is mounted lfast and loose pulleys 37, by means of whichpower may be applied tothe machine. The shafts 33 and 36 are mounted insuitable bearings provided in a standard 38 rising from the table top12. The gears 30 are loosely mounted upon the stub shafts 31 and when`these gears are in position, each of the cylinders 16 may besimultaneously rotated. However, if it is desired to cut out theoperation oit some of the cylinders 16, certain of the gears 30 mayberemov'ed from rthe shai'ts v31. The ma` vchine thus provides aplurality of separate port 41 extending from the container 40 and aspring t'arm 42,'the latterbeing provided with Ia cord receiving slot43. Trhe cord passes fromfthe container downward` through ythis-slotbetween the spring plate 42 and the "support 41, tension being regulatedby'means set screw The cord passes from the itefnsioning v`device l"toJa 'guide `'ng'er 45 one of which is secured to each of the Stationarycam sleeves 22, the said ringer being arranged to properly position thecord for engagement by one ot the needles 23.

In the operation or the machine, power is applied to rotate thecylinders 16 and one end ,of the article is inserted within the top ofone or more of the said cylinders. Rotation of these cylinders willcause the cord-,to .3e wrapped about the article in spiral iorn1ation,the needles on their downward move-` ment engaging` the cord withintheir hooks 25 and drawing the said cord downward within notches46'provided in the upper edge of the cylinders 16. During this downwardmovement, the latches 26 of the needles will be closed bythe convolutionet the cord imi mediately below the one in wliiclrthe loops have justbeen formed and will draw the cord through these loops in the mannerillustrated in Figure 7 and provide a knitted or interwoven wrapping forthe article. As soon as one article has been wrapped or tied, anothermay be fed immediately through the guide, so that a series oit connectedarticles inay be'provided as is also shown in Figure 7. The table top 12is provided below each of the units with openings 47 and the articlesmay thus be continuously fed through the machine and afterward separatedas cesired.

rlhe invention is susceptible of various changes in its form,proportions and minor details of construction and the right is hereinreserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of theappended claim.

Havingv described the invention what is claimed is il knitting machinevembodying a table, a plurality oit horizontally arrangedsupportingplates spaced above the table and having openings therein,cylinders varying in diameter and having their lower ends mounted forrotation in said openings, needles operatively mounted about thccylinders, a stau tionary sleeve surrounding each cylinder ane` having acam groove therein, the walls oi which engage the needles, an annulariange extending around the bottom-of said sleeve,

and spaced rods connecting the plate and lsleeve flange for supportingthe sleeve spaced about the cylinder supportingl plate, whereby saidsleeves will provide a bearing for the cylinders, a gear trainconnecting the cylinders, lsaid train including gears sur! tures.

CARLO MERLI. GIUSEFPE BERTOLNI,

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